COLONIAL 1624-1750s

1624 Permanent colony of New Netherland is established |
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1625 New Amsterdam is born |
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1647 Peter Stuyvesant, the first governor of New Amsterdam |
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1653 New Amsterdam becomes a city |
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1654 First Jewish settlers in New Amsterdam |
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1658 Harlem established by the settlers |
Harlem was named after Dutch city of Haarlem which is located as far from Amsterdam as Harlem from New Amsterdam. Within a few years Harlem had about 30 families of ex-Frenchmen, Walloons, Danes, Swedes, German and Dutchmen. |
1664 New Amsterdam becomes New York |
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1682 New York is divided into counties |
New York is divided into the counties of
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1693 The Battery gets its name. The Church of England becomes the official religion. |
- 1365 were Dissenters (Protestants) families, - 260 Huguenot families, - 90 Anglican families, - 20 Jewish families - 6 Catholics
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1697 Trinity Church, the first Anglican Church in the city, is built |
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1733 The Bowling Green is the first city park. |
Bowling Green had been a cattle market, parade ground, and a field for an early Dutch version of bowling before it became the first city park. In 1733, the Common Council leased a portion of the parade grounds to prominent neighboring landlords for a peppercorn a year, upon their promise to create a park that would be "the delight of the Inhabitants of the City" and would add to its "Beauty and Ornament" |
1735 Peter Zenger's trial. Birth of free press |
Peter Zenger, publisher of one of the early New York papers, accurately but harshly criticized the corrupt governor of New York. At the time any critique of any British official was considered ‘seditious libel' and was punishable by law. Peter Zenger was put on trial where he was brilliantly defended by Andrew Hamilton, who argued that if it's true, it's not libel. Zenger was found not guilty. Press was granted the right to freely report truth. |
1754 King's College is chartered |
Kings College, the 6th college in colonies, was chartered by King George II. It was located on Broadway near Church Street, on the land belonging to the Trinity Church. Kings College was to become one of the highest regarded universities in the world, known today as Columbia University. |